Pass Christian to Slidell

Moved Bliss on January 18 and 19. Of course, there were no winds whatsoever on the 18th, our 42 nm leg. Forecast called for winds at 5-10 from the East. No such luck. We put-putted WSW on the 9.9 hp Evinrude. Passed near St. Stanislaus and Our Lady of the Gulf.




After 3 or 4 hours, we approached Clermont Harbor and Silver Slipper Casino. Turned SSW for the GIWW. Still no wind.




GIWW marked "point of no return." If we went much further, we'd be committing to Slidell. There are possible anchorages but no services between the GIWW and Slidell.

42 miles on a 9.9 hp motor pushing a 5,000 or so lb boat seems insane. The makings of a coonass or a redneck joke. One of each on board.

Plenty of food. Places to anchor. A more favorable wind the following day (supposedly). Our best guess-- we have enough gas. If it looks like we're going to run out, we'll anchor and wait for wind. Work schedules flexible, so we can take another day off if need be. Not as much beer as we would like, but conditions tolerable. Go for it!

Dodged the rag-tag navy of oyster boats working out of Pass Christian and then Clermont Harbor. It was fun to watch them work. One thing for sure-- they weren't watching us. Not to worry. Just alter course when they come close. Note to self: find some oysters on the half shell and a beer asap. All those burlap sacks of oysters making me hungry.




Half way through the GIWW to the Rigolets. Still no wind. Put-putting at about 4-4.5 knots. Getting impatient. Twist the throttle. 5.5 knots. Bully!

Waited 1/2 hour for the operator to swing the CSX railroad bridge at the Rigolets. Radioed the operator, and he told us he'd swing as soon as the train passed. Kept calling me "Captain" on the radio. Very cool to be the one they open the bridge for instead of the one waiting on it.



Half way through the Rigolets-- check fuel. Uh oh. We're running out. The price of being impatient?

Called a friend who had lived in the area. He wasn't sure but said to check the marina at Geoghan Bayou. Said they had fuel before Katrina and that they had opened after. Said there was enough water for my 4' keel. He wasn't sure about their status after Katrina, though.

Went into Geoghan Bayou. No gas at the marina. Marina had moved off the canal into a smaller canal. Ran aground. Used a lot of gas getting unstuck. Damn!

Still no wind-- like riding in a bathtub. 1-1/2 hours or so left. Cut back the power to 4 knots and cruised into Lake Ponchartrain, then to Oak Harbor Marina at Slidell on fumes. Moored, took a cab to get dinner, and went to sleep. Found a beer, but no oysters.

This was one of those days I'll remember forever. I had never done anything like this before.

Bliss is Back Home

Got up the next morning ready to make the 20 or so nm leg from Slidell to Mandeville. A bit more wind, but not much.

We needed gas, but the marina had none. They suggested we go one mile up the road to a gas station. Not having a car, Joe and I each carried a gas can and hoofed it. The good people of Slidell passed us without offering assistance.

An immigrant laborer offered us a ride in the back of his truck. We gladly accepted. He waited for us and drove us back. Would not accept money. He said, "you have a boat, I have a car. Next time I need a boat, you help me." He and his truck and his power washer went off to work.

I am not interested in hearing anyone complaining of illegals. Even if he were an illegal, he was a good samaritan. God bless him!

Got assistance at the dock from a very nice guy. He and his wife just got back from a 3 year Caribbean cruise. They are selling their boat and looking for jobs. Check out their website.



Pulled out of the slip, and the motor promptly conked out. Problem: a cut in the fuel line. We fixed it (well, it was mostly Joe) and were off to the races.

Passed through a bascule bridge at Hwy 11 and motorsailed to Bayou Castine.




What a relief to see the Ponchartrain Yacht Club and the approach to Bayou Castine in the distance.



Went to the harbor, tied up, and headed back to North Louisiana after having dinner in BR.

Bliss is back in Bayou Castine, where she spent the first 29 or so years of her life.

In Over Our Head

Having a boat on the Gulf Coast sounds wonderful, and it is. Sailing with the family,








overnighting at Ship Island,



sailing open water, albeit brown, not blue,



Enjoying views only to be seen from the water.



But there is a down side. The picture of Bliss on the blog intro is actually an excerpt from a news story WLOX did when whatever the name of the October hurricane hit the Gulf Coast.

Since when do hurricanes hit in October?

Anyhow, the "hurricane" was only a tropical storm when it hit Pass Christian. Nevertheless, the Pass Christian Harbormaster declared a mandatory evacuation. His minions informed me at about 9pm that I had to move my boat by noon the next day. Problem: I was 6 hours away and had some pressing matters at work the next day.

I asked the Harbormaster why his harbor couldn't accommodate our boat in weather that wasn't forecasted to be all that extraordinary. He wasn't keen on offering explanations and told me I'd lose my slip if I didn't move the boat.

That incited a heated discussion with the officious Harbormaster. He threatened to sue me if my boat did his precious harbor any damage. I then spewed vitriol about the keystone cop Harbor Patrol and the sorry level of care the harbor and its tenants received--fodder for another blog. Dale Carnegie be damned!

A lot of burly shrimpers and oystermen probably echoed my sentiments because the mandatory evacuation was lifted. The good Harbormaster didn't bother to inform me, though. Fancy that.

After all that, though, we decided to move Bliss back where she had been moored for 30 or so years-- on Bayou Castine near Lake Ponchartrain.

I've checked the wind, plotted the course, and entered waypoints on the GPS. The plan is to ready the boat today, sail to Slidell on Monday, and sail to Bayou Castine on Tuesday.

The trip through Lake Borgne looks isolated, but there will probably be traffic through the GIWW. The trip through the rigolets may require some motoring, but we shall see.

Winds are a bit lighter than I would like, but at least they're on a east heading.

Where to Begin?

We have now sailed Bliss, a 1978 Model 24' Helms "pocket cruiser," for about six months.

We took delivery on June 27, 2010 at Long Beach Harbor. Her last owner, a young Seabee from the Midwest, kept her for only six months or so before he was deployed to Guam. With his deployment and the active part of the hurricane season drawing near, he lowered her price steeply.

Having sailed small dinghys and catamarans as a youngster, I had often toyed with owning a sailboat. When one of my friends from high school died of a heart attack at age 46, I reevaluated the time frame.

When I began my research, the 24' Helms interested me. Heavily ballasted for her size and having a 4' fixed keel, the model seemed quite capable for any weather I would ever voluntarily encounter. For a 24-footer, she looked as close to a bluewater boat as I could imagine.

The Helms 24 also has the largest cabin I have seen on a 24 footer. It supposedly sleeps 5, but four is more realistic. Four very friendly people, that is.



Nevertheless, I started looking at Catalinas and other swing keel models. These are trailerable and more manageable in Gulf-area waters. Shoals, oyster beds, and underwater obstacles from years of big oil neglect dictate much caution when sailing these parts.

But when I saw Bliss advertised for such a bargain price, I had to look. I couldn't even buy a travel trailer that would sleep 4 for the asking price. Joe, a long-time friend, wanted to go in halves on a boat. He liked the sound of this one also, so we drove down to see her.

When I saw her at Long Beach Harbor, it was love at first sight. Not only had she been meticulously cared for, she was equipped to the nines. Everything you would need to cruise, sail in foul weather, get out of a jam, and maintain her was already on board, included in the price.

We settled up and took delivery. The adventure begins.